Overcrowding in British trains to get worse

A parliamentary report released last week warns of rising levels of overcrowding, despite plans to increase seating capacity. The British Department of Transport is carrying out a five-year, 9 billion pound investment program to increase the network's capacity with more trains in order to offer more seats and more comfortable standing places. But the plan won't even be sufficient to avoid a worsening of the current situation, the report says.

By 2014, peak hour trains in London will have 15 percent fewer places, while trains to other large cities will have around 30 percent too few places. With strong austerity measures laid down by the government, it is unlikely new financing could fix the problem. Facing budgetary cuts and the growing number of travelers, the report urges operators to become more efficient–especially to control overcrowding at peak hours. The government should announce measures to reduce overcrowding in the following weeks. It has already announced its intention to continue to invest in public transportation, but warns travelers that they will have to accept a higher rail fare increase in the coming years.

The situation is the same in Switzerland, with most of the country's rail nodes needing investments to adapt its infrastructure. As in the United Kingdom, peak hours are at the heart of the problem. To avoid the morning rush hour–the most crowded and problematic time during the day–large companies and universities have accepted to spread out schedules.

But more efficient measures are needed, so the Swiss National Railways (SBB) want to introduce different ticket prices, with more expensive tickets during rush hour to deter travelers. So far, this proposition has only given rise to strong opposition, and the SBB offers off-peak hour discount tickets. Never out of ideas, the SBB's latest plan is to grant reduced fare to pensioners only after 9 a. m., as it is already the case in the city of Lausanne.

Sources: Railway Technology, LeTemps